South Sudan prisons in tatters after decades of war

A female inmate peers out through the grills of a metallic prison gate at Juba's central prison in South Sudan.

Tony Karumba / AFP - Getty Images

An inmate standd astride an open waste water gulley with shackles around his ankles at the prison yard of Rumbek's central prison in South Sudan.

Tony Karumba / AFP - Getty Images

Prison wardens carry out an inspection of the kitchens at Juba's central prison in South Sudan.

GRAPHIC WARNING: Contains images which some viewers may find disturbing.

In Juba, the ramshackle capital of South Sudan, the world's newest nation, over 100 people await execution in filthy and crowded prisons. Human rights activists say conditions break basic freedoms, with many inmates never having even seen a lawyer, or even knowing their charges.

In June, Human Rights Watch issued a report that found that prisoners in South Sudan were often detained arbitrarily, often not charged with crimes and frequently not provided with lawyers for their defense. The report said some prisoners were detained for up to five years without trial. Continue reading AP article.

Impoverished South Sudan was left in ruins after decades of war with Sudan before separating in 2011 after a landslide independence referendum. But like so much in the country, the legal system was left in tatters, with sometimes conflicting, overlapping systems of justice.

All images captured Oct. 23-26 by AFP - Getty Images photographer Tony Karumba, but made available to NBC News today.

Tony Karumba / AFP - Getty Images

Inmates get ready to dish out food to other prisoners for their evening meal at Rumbek's central prison in South Sudan

Tony Karumba / AFP - Getty Images

Inmates, who are shackled together at the ankles, bathe at a water point at Rumbek's central prison in South Sudan.

- / AFP - Getty Images

A mentally ill inmate at Juba's central prison in South Sudan is locked-up in solitary confinement.